Toothpick



March 24, 1936. A DL 2,035,425

TOOTHPICK Filed Nov. 5, 1.935

#2 .3. INVENTOR L, ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,035,425 TOOTHPICK Joseph A. Doll, Mineola, N. Y., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Joledo Corporation,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 5, 1935, Serial No: 48,297

13 Claims.

This invention relates to toothpicks. The invention aims more especially to provide an improved toothpick packet in which the toothpicks are. protected by a folded cover sheet in the manner of the well known book matches, and which is of comparatively low cost. Features of the invention may, however, be embodied in toothpick assemblies without covers and in single toothpicks.

Toothpicks according to the invention are made by coating suitably shaped narrow strips of thin cardboard or other suitable sheet paper with a suitable stifiening material to form on the strip a coating. of sufficient thickness and which is hard and somewhat flexible and elastic so that the toothpickthus made will be well suited for its intended purpose. The invention includes a method whereby a desired distribution of the coating material on the pointed paper strip is secured.

In the accompanying drawing which shows illustrative embodiments of the invention Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a toothpick packet containing an assembly of six toothpicks, the packet being shown opened for removal of a toothpick;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the unfolded. paper blank ready to have the toothpick forming strips coated;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of the completed packet with the cover portion in its folded closed position;

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged longitudinal;

sectional view through one of the toothpicks;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view'similar to Fig. 1 but showing a single pick packet; and

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the paper blank for making the article shown in Fig. 6. p

Referring to the drawing, and first to Figs. 1 to 5, the toothpick packet shown in Fig. 1 comprises an assembly of toothpicks I0 secured to and extending in parallel relation from abase portion II, and a cover sheet including a back panel I! and a front panel l3, the base portion ll being securedto the back panel I2. When the packet is closed the base H and toothpicks III are folded down against the back panel I! of the cover sheet and. the front panel I3 is then folded down over the picks so that the picks are covered and enclosed within and protected by the cover sheet as shown by Fig. 3. Most desirably and as shown, some means is provided for holding the front panel l3 in its closed'position. For this purpose in the preferred construction shown the free edge of the front cover panel 13 is provided with a short tab l4 and the base portion H has a slot l5 therein into which the tab is inserted as shown in Fig. 3.

The toothpicks l0 and base piece H are formed from a sheet of thin cardboard or other suitable paper out to provide a plurality of narrow pointed strips extending from an uncut portion of the sheet which forms the base piece II, the narrow strips being coated with suitable waterproof stifiening material to give them the necessary stillness, slight flexibility, and elasticity which toothpicks should have. The coating extends adjacent to but not beyond the line of connection 1 of the-strips with the base piece, leaving uncoated paper at the base of each toothpick so that the pick may be readily torn away from the base pi c Instead of making the cover panels from a separate sheet of paper or other suitable material to which the picks and base I I are secured, the picks and base piece and the cover panels are most desirably formed all from a single integral strip of thin cardboard or other paper out to form a blank of the shape shown by Fig. 2

, As shown in this figure, the paper strip is cut, at one end to provide a plurality of narrow pointed strips [0a extending from the end of the main or body portion of the strip, and the body portion is scored to locate fold lines as indicated by the dotted lines 20 and 2|, line 20 being spaced a short distance from theends of the cuts between the strips Illa to leave the narrow base portion II, and the line 2| dividing the main portion of the body portion of the strip into the back cover panel IZ and the front cover panel l3, the tab M at the free end of the panel I I3 and the slot 15 inthe base portion ll being also provided.

Before the blank is folded the coating [0b is applied to the strips Illa. Most desirably, and in accordance with the invention, this is done by dipping the strips Illa points down into a bath of the coating material, then raising the strips 4 from the liquid slowly so as to avoid leaving an excess of liquid thereon, then quickly turning the blank to a position in which the points of the strips Illa extend substantially vertically upward to allow some of the coating material to flow downwardly away from the points of the strips, and then after a short period, usually two or three seconds with coating material which I have used and which is referred to below, turning the blank to horizontal position and main- 55 taining it in that position until the coating ma terial has set.

It is possible that with a suitable coating ma terial of proper viscosity a satisfactory coating may be obtained with a single dip. I have found it desirable, however, in order to obtain a suitable thickness of the coating over the major portion of the picks, to give them two or three successive dips, allowing the coating to set and harden somewhat between dips. I have also found it desirable to use for'the first clip a coating material having considerable body" and because the coating of such material which I have used is somewhat brittle, to use for the second and third coatings a material which gives a more flexible, elastic and tough coating.

A .suitable mixture for the first coating is prepared by dissolving 24 oz. of pyroxylin in a mixture of 38% of butyl acetate, 57% of toluol, and 5% of dibutyl phthalate, sufficient solvent being used to give a gallon of solution, and to such solution adding 8 oz. of ester gum and 1 lb. of zinc oxide. A suitable mixture for the second coating, and for the third coating if the picks are dipped three times, is prepared by dissolving 16 oz. of cellulose acetate in 1 gallon of acetone. The resulting composite coating is waterproof, hard, somewhat flexible, and elastic, and does not readily breakor crack in the use of the toothpicks. When the picks are dipped in the way described they have a comparatively thin coating at and close to their points, the coating then increasing gradually in thickness for a distance in the direction away from the point, thus giving the greatest rigidity to the picks where most needed and providing them with the desired comparatively thin pointed ends.

Other coating materials may be used provided I they are adapted to form the desired hard semiflexible and elastic coatings. In the materials referred to above, the dibutyl phthalate and ester gum act as plasticizers for preventing brittleness in coating. Other plasticizers might, of course, be used. The zinc oxide serves primarily as a suitable form of filler to give body to the coating and also serves as a pigment to give the toothpicks a clean, white, pleasing appearance.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a single pick packet according to the invention which is similar to thepacket of Figs. 1 to 5 except that it has only a single toothpick l0 and the cover l2, I3 is correspondingly narrow.

In making either the single pick packet vor the multiple pick packet, the pointed toothpick forming strips of .a plurality of packet blanks may be dipped in one operation before the blanks are cut apart along their side edges.

From the illustrative embodiments shown and described, it will be understood that single toothpicks or toothpick assemblies consisting of a plurality of toothpicks extending from a base portion maybe made without any enclosing coverins.

What is claimed is:

l. A toothpick consisting of a pointed paper strip coated with hard semi-flexible elastic and waterproof material.

2. A toothpick consisting of a pointed paper strip having a coating comprising a cellulose base lacquer containing a'mineral filler.

3. A toothpick consisting of a pointed paper strip coated with acellulose base lacquer containinga piasticizer and a mineral filler.

4. A toothpick consisting of a pointed paper '7. A toothpick assembly consisting of a paper sheet cut to form a plurality of pointed strips extending fromone edge of a base portion, said pointed strips having a coating of hard semiflexible elastic waterproof material, the coating extendingadjacent to but not beyond the line of connection of the strips with said base portion to enable the strips to be readily torn oif.

8. A toothpick packet, comprising a toothpick and a cover therefor formed from a strip of sheet material, the major part of the strip being folded to form front and back cover panels, and the part forming the toothpick having a coating of hard semi-flexible elastic waterproof material and being folded to lie between the cover panels.

9. A toothpick packet, comprising an elongated paper sheet cut to form a plurality of narrow strips at one end, said strips being pointed and coated with hard semi-flexible elastic waterproof material to form toothpicks, the coating extending adjacent to but not beyond the line of connection of the toothpick strips with the body of the sheet to permit the toothpicks to be readily torn oif, and the body of the sheet being folded to cover the two sides of the toothpicks.

10. A toothpick packet comprising a paper sheet cut to form a plurality of pointed strips extending from one edge of a base portion, said pointed strips having a coating of hard semiflexible elastic waterproof material, and a cover sheet connected to said base portion and folded to cover the two sides of the coated strips.

11. A toothpick packet, comprising a toothpick and a cover therefor formed from a strip of sheet material, the major part of the strip being folded to form front and back cover panels,

the part forming the toothpick having a coatthe strip slowly to avoid the presence of excess coating material on the withdrawn strip, quickly inverting the strip to permit some of the coating material to flow away from the pointed end of the strip, and then bringing the strip into substantially horizontal position and maintainv ing it in such position until the coating has set.

13. A toothpick packet, comprising an elongated paper sheetcut to form a plurality of narrow strips at one end, said strips being pointed and coated with hard semi-flexible elastic waterproof material to form toothpicks, and the body of the sheet being folded to cover the two sides of the toothpicks.

JOSEPH A. DOLL. 

